Example
C applied for a Crisis Grant after an automatic payment was deducted from their benefit, leaving them without enough money to meet day-to-day living costs.
The council awarded £305.37 to cover a period of 27 days, including a 20% local policy uplift.
C requested a review, believing the award should have been equivalent to the full amount of their Universal Credit entitlement. We reviewed the council's records and corresponded with C. However, we did not find evidence to demonstrate why a higher award was required beyond C’s view that Crisis Grant awards should reflect the level of Universal Credit they normally receive.
We found that the council had applied the guidance appropriately and had exercised discretion reasonably when calculating the award. We therefore did not change the decision.
C later asked us to reconsider our decision, arguing that insufficient discretion had been applied and that additional costs associated with their disability had not been taken into account. C also considered that the award should have been based on their Universal Credit entitlement, including the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element.
We considered the additional information provided and reviewed the relevant guidance. While we recognised that disabilities can result in additional living costs and that the guidance allows flexibility to meet individual needs, we found insufficient evidence to justify the level of additional assistance requested by C. We also considered that the Scottish Welfare Fund is designed to help meet immediate living costs in an emergency and operates under different criteria from Universal Credit. Taking all of the circumstances into account, we did not change our original decision.